Beth Spong

After a lifetime of entrepreneurship, mission-driven consulting, and 15 years as a nonprofit leader, Beth joined Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee of Orange, MA.  She consulted with Dean’s Beans for three years before accepting the position of COO in 2022. Her work was instrumental in preparing the company for its transition to a 100% worker owned cooperative when founder Dean Cycon retired in 2023. Beth became the CEO at that time. 

Beth has a record of high impact fundraising and organizational development for nonprofits. Her expertise includes strategic planning, strengthening boards and teams, finance, as well as leadership. As a senior leader, consultant and board member, she has helped successfully steer organizations through challenges, change, and growth. 

Dean’s Beans is a 30-year-old for-profit business that proves doing good is good for business. The company works for social, economic and environmental justice, makes outstanding organic fair trade coffee, has garnered numerous awards, and appreciates their very loyal customer base. Spong is especially proud of their commitment to benefiting people and the planet, before profit.

The company’s mission is to use specialty coffee as a vehicle for positive change. In addition to paying fair trade prices for coffee, they also collaborate with coffee producing communities on critical initiatives requested by farmers. These include reforestation and biodiversity, maternal health training and resources, developing economic and small business opportunities for youth, literacy and education programs, funding health clinics, and building wells for clean water. Dean’s Beans encourages to customers to “Brew great coffee. Create real change.”

Beth brings deep passion for the mission and insight to her work at Dean’s Beans, along with wit and wisdom as a leader. She lives in Northampton, MA, and is a proud graduate of Mount Holyoke College.